Jenny's Black Forest Cake

"This recipe is from a friend of my mother's. She used it for catering and has won the hearts of most who've tasted it. I've had to share this recipe with everyone who's been to one of my parties. Serve with whipped cream if desired."

Directions

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, coffee and vanilla. Stir in the sour milk. Gradually beat in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake layers to cool completely before filling.

To make the cherry filling: Combine the cherry pie filling and cherry liquor. Refrigerate cherry mixture until chilled, then fill cake.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Feb 20, 2008

I can't say enough about this cake, it was excellent! I didn't add the liquor, as I didn't have any on hand and I added whip cream into the layer and iced it with whip cream. It was so moist, everybody had seconds. I found my husband the next day with a fork and the leftovers.

Most Helpful Critical Review

Mar 31, 2009

I made this recipe exactly as written, and baked it in 2 8-inch round cake pans. The batter was very liquid. After 30 minutes of baking, the batter had oozed out all over the oven, and what was left in the pans was still jiggly inside with a baked crust on top. What did I do wrong? Everyone else seems to love it, and it looked so good. :(

Omagosh this is goooood!!! I made it once as the recipe stated with cherry pie filling & cool whip topping, and again with raspberry pie filling, topped with a chocolate glaze and mounds of fresh raspberries. MMMMmMmmm...it was so good. The cake itself is so moist and delicous, you must try this recipe.

I made this as a birthday cake and it turned out wonderful. Just rich enough without being too rich, very moist without falling apart. Used cool whip as a topping, as the cake is fabulous enough without a frosting. Only changes I made was adding a little cardamom to the batter and I omitted the liqueur this time (but will definitely try it next time.) Will definitely make this cake again.

I barely made any changes to the actual cake portion of this recipe but did use 1/4 cup applesauce in addition to ¼ cup oil instead of a full ½ cup of oil. I also used half of Hershey’s Dark cocoa as well as regular unsweetened cocoa. Using the cake as a base, I added the following, loosely following another recipe:
Once cake cooled, I poked holes into each cake using a long tined fork then poured a mix of cherry juice and slight amount of brandy onto each cake. Then I used a mix of .5 cup creamed butter, .3 cup of /granulated sugar and almond extract to make a buttercream filling and put a layer on one of the cakes. I put one can of cherry pie filling (excluding juice) on that same cake then topped with slightly sweetened heavy whipping cream. I put the other cake on top then laid another can of cherry pie filling, sans juice, on top followed with more whipped cream. I used 2 cups of liquid heavy whipping cream when I made the cream for the middle and top of cake, which was perfect.
I had one slice right away and, while it was good, thought it was missing something, but didn’t know what. The cherries were somehow boring as well. The next day, somehow, it was wonderful! It was very moist and the flavors were enhanced. I originally thought the buttercream was a waste of time; however, each day that passes (day 3 now), the filling flavor comes out more and really makes this cake!
I will definitely use this recipe for any chocolate cakes I make from now on!

This is excellent - beautiful results with relatively little work. I whipped up a big container of Rich's Whip and put it in between the two layers with the cherry filling, and on top with a few cherries for garnishes. My company was impressed with the looks and loved the taste.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.